Resolution Restitution: Time to save some cash in the new year

One of the broader and more common resolutions for any new year is to save some extra money. But those who pinpoint specific means to do so are typically the ones who succeed on their decree.
It's easy to say, when asked about what your New Year's resolution is going to be, to say that you want to save money or turn around your financial fortunes the very moment the clock strikes midnight.
Speaking in generalities and heading into the new year devoid of any semblance of a plan or budget might be what breaks, not makes, what you saying a reality.
You might say for example that part of your money woes includes spending too much money on food in restaurants or you'd like to quit that one pack per day smoking habit that is costing you more than you'd like to admit.
The average pack of cigarettes is between $4-5, and at one pack per day, you're spending $150 per month or almost $2,000 per year. Quitting smoking isn't easy, and you'll probably end up spending some money on patches or gum to help your efforts, but those expenses over the long term pale in comparison to the actual cost of cigarettes.

Plenty of support groups and programs are designed to assist those who want to stop smoking, and some actually are free. One of the more notable ones is being put together for 2014 by Walgreens and GlaxoSmithLkine (GSK) Consumer Healthcare for the "Sponsorship to Quit." The program promotes quitting smoking and better overall health and wellness.
As for the food dilemma, eating breaking, lunch, dinner or any combination out at a restaurant proves to be an expensive excursion to the tune of hundreds of dollars per month. Spending $5 per day for lunch and another $10 for dinner seems innocent enough on a daily basis, but keeping up that pace means you're going to end up with nearly a $500 dinner bill by the end of the month.
That translates into $6,000 of your hard earned money each year being put toward restaurant or fast food. If you're already spending $500 on grocery store food, why would you want to match that figure with more food, when you can just as easily cook at home?
Getting particular with the dollar amounts, whether you're discussing your food or smoking, is imperative in comparison to stating the obvious: that you need to save more money. Those who choose to make New Year's resolutions a budgeting priority and factor in everything to the very last dollar stand a better chance of seeing more favorable results.

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